Packers DB Keisean Nixon in disbelief after Rasul Douglas trade to Buffalo
The Packers trading Rasul Douglas to the Bills stunned Green Bay players and the fans. Keisean Nixon, a fellow DB, said he still is at a “loss for words.”
“I understand it’s a business,” Nixon said of his teammate and friend. “But I’m still sick to my stomach, honestly.”
Nixon described Douglas, who’d played for the Packers for almost three seasons, as “somebody who stabilized the locker room. He’s a big part of what we were preaching and approaching as a team, and now he’s gone.”
Keisean Nixon said he got so many calls he thought the Packers traded him
Nixon, Green Bay’s nickelback and All-Pro returner, told reporters that his phone started blowing up Tuesday afternoon. The NFL trade deadline was 4 p.m. Nixon said he assumed the reaction meant he was changing zip codes. Instead, it was Douglas, his close friend. The Packers sent Douglas and a fifth-round pick to the Bills for a 2024 third-rounder.
Douglas told reporters Thursday that when he received a phone call from Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to tell him of the trade, that he hung up the phone. Douglas said he didn’t believe his GM. Then he said he talked to running back Aaron Jones and they both cried together.
By Wednesday, Douglas was in Buffalo, meeting his new teammates at Orchard Park. He’s now playing on a contender, as he leaves the 2-5 Packers.
Green Bay’s Brian Gutekunst said Bills offer came out of blue
It does appear that Green Bay management is playing for the future as a heavily-injured team, playing with a new quarterback, struggles to win games.
In a media availability on Wednesday, Gutekunst said the Bills had called about Douglas a few days ago. He described the call as out of the blue. Gutekunst said the first offer wasn’t a good one, but that Buffalo sweetened the deal. Douglas had one year to go on his contract.
“We thought it was in the best interests of the Packers,” Gutekunst told reporters. “Obviously, in the short term, you lose a good player. That’s tough. But at the same time, looking kind of long-term, it’s going to be in our best interests.
“Any time you get a third-round pick that’s going to kind of be within the top 100, probably going to be in the top 50 players you have on your board, that’s something I think that was too good for us to pass up. We wish him well. He served us well while he was here, and like I said, we’re excited about the opportunities it presents for some other guys.”
Packers GM said he almost didn’t trade Douglas
Meanwhile, Keisean Nixon paid tribute to his good friend. He first posted a broken heart emoji on X, then followed it with a black and white snapshot of the two of them.
Nixon said he’s not aware of who could replace Douglas’ presence in the locker room. He definitely was a popular player.
“I think you consider all those things, and quite frankly, at the beginning, that’s why I said ‘no,’” Gutekunst said of Douglas. “But once it got to a certain point, there’s some offers you can’t refuse, and this was one of those … and again, we wish him well, but I also think right now that there is opportunity and I have a lot of expectations for players to step into leadership roles that need to step into leadership roles.”